BAD WRITING

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 3, Issue 666, 19 October 1933, Page 7

BAD WRITING

LOWER STANDARD MARLBOROUGH BOARD ENJOYS ITSELF IN DISCUSSION. * SGHOOLBOY'S REJOINDER. To an accompaniment of humorous •sallies and gusts of laughter, the Marlborough College Board the other | afternoon discussed the deeadence of handwriting, contriving to derive a • good deal of amusement, as well as the expression of serious opinions, out of a rather threadbare subject, records the Marlborough Express. "Not for one moment would I suggest that th'e handwriting at Marlborough College is below the general standard of'secondary schools in New Zealand," remarked Mr. W. E. Gascoigne, who introduced the subject, "but I cannot help saying that the average writing of the boys — I think it may be conceded that the girls, generally, write better than the boys — ileaves much' to be desired." Mr. Gascoigne went on to say that, even if the secondary standard generally was bad, he would like to see the pupils of the local college make an effort to improve their standard. "If they can't write everything better,' he said, "let them at least try and make better figures, better capitals, and a clear signature. The Hon. R. McCallum: What. No flourishes ? Mr. Gascoigne (decisively). No flourishes. Just a plain, r.eadabl© signature. Mr. Gascoigne mentioned that one time when he was laid up for two years with a serious football injury he set himself to improve his own handwriting and suceeded. He thought that if the pupils made a similar effort they would be surprised at the result. The chairman (Mr. W. J. Girling) said that it was the hurried manner in which secondary school pupils had to do their work that spoilt their writing. "There are only three things I would like to say," remarked the principal (Mr. John Stewart, M.A.). "In the first place, I plead guilty — th'e writing of the secondary school pupils is bad. It is partly the curse of the examination system, where so S much depends on speed. Whether we | are worse than the average secondary \ school, I don't know. The second 1 thing I want to say is that I don't | know if I am qualified to rectify it. | I always think of a boy's essay I once J marked. I wrote a comment at the I end of it, and he brought it up and, ] showing it to me, said 'I can't read j it.' What I had written was: 'Your writing is had; it must improve!' (Laughter.) The third thing is this: That if it is going out as the opinion of the board that our writing in the secondary schools is bad, it is perhaps as well to remember first of all that Scriptural injunction, 'Let him that is without fault throw the first stone.' I wonder if you ever saw thc writing of the honourable gentleman on your right ? " Amidst hearty laughter, Mr. McCallum rose to state, in his own defenee, that at' the primary school he once won second prize in a test to find the best writer in the whole school. Mr. Furness: I think we shall have to pin our faith on typewriters. The principal remarked that he had a rather striking example the other day of the lasting impression created by good handwriting when h'e recognised the "hand" of a friend whose bea.iififi^l "copperplate" writing he had not seen for 25 or 30 years. "It is a delight to see good writing," he conceded.